During an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday (February 12), Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri stated that Hamas remains committed to the agreed hostage release schedule but will not release all Israeli hostages on Saturday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that failure to release hostages by Saturday would result in severe consequences. Former U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in, stating, "If all hostages are not returned by Saturday noon, I believe it's time to call off the ceasefire deal."

Following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II reaffirmed their countries' unified stance on Gaza. They stressed that Palestinians must not be displaced from their homeland. Trump had earlier warned that if Egypt and Jordan refused to accept Palestinian refugees, U.S. aid to these nations could be cut. Arab News reports that Egypt and Jordan are leading a strong regional resistance against Trump's plan to relocate Gazan Palestinians to their territories.

At a rally in Sirajganj, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan stated that if BNP remains united, no other party can win the next election. He emphasized the sacrifices of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and thousands of victims of enforced disappearances and killings. Khan urged BNP leaders and activists to stand by the people, asserting that Ziaur Rahman’s legacy and Khaleda Zia’s 31-point roadmap will shape the nation’s future.

A UN fact-finding mission has revealed that between July 1 and August 15, over 1,400 people, including 12-13% children, were killed in the Bangladesh protests. Thousands more were injured, with most victims shot by security forces. The report also notes that 44 police officers lost their lives during the clashes.

A UN investigative report has found that security forces acted on direct orders from former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the July-August uprising, leading to indiscriminate killings. It names top government figures, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, as key conspirators. On July 19, Hasina reportedly instructed law enforcement to arrest and eliminate protest coordinators.

The UN has made 50 key recommendations regarding the July-August uprising and mass killings in Bangladesh. Among them is the dissolution of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) due to severe human rights violations. The report also suggests limiting the powers of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Defense Intelligence Directorate (DGFI) to prevent further abuse of authority.

Filmmaker and advisor Mostofa Sarwar Farooki compared the country’s 16-year ordeal to the infamous Ayna Ghor detention center. In a Facebook post, he recalled his friend Sajedul Islam Suman, who was allegedly executed and disposed of in the Shitalakkhya River under orders from intelligence officials.

On his birthday, anti-discrimination student activists honored Abrar Fahad, a Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student who was brutally killed by expelled Chhatra League members. Their tribute described him as a guiding light in the fight against fascism and Indian hegemony.

In a Fox News interview, Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine may or may not reach a peace deal and could potentially become part of Russia in the future. He demanded that Ukraine repay the vast financial aid it received from the U.S., proposing that the country use its rich agricultural land and natural resources to settle the debt.

According to a UN report, police were directly responsible for the extrajudicial killing of Abu Sayeed, a student at Begum Rokeya University. On July 16 last year, during a student protest, police and ruling party activists attacked demonstrators, fatally shooting Sayeed. Multiple eyewitness accounts and video evidence confirm police involvement. A forensic report shows two gunshot wounds on his body.

During a visit to the notorious Ayna Ghor detention center, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Arman recounted his harrowing eight-year captivity. He described being blindfolded and handcuffed behind his back at all times, even during prayers. He told interim government officials that he was subjected to extreme conditions, often left bound and motionless for 24 hours. Arman was released on August 6.

The interim government has welcomed the UN Human Rights Office’s report on the violent crackdown on students and workers by the Sheikh Hasina-led administration. The government reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, stating that the UN’s independent investigation has exposed grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and excessive force.

Abdur Rahman Bodi, a former MP from Cox’s Bazar and a known drug lord, was arrested by RAB on August 20. Despite his notorious reputation, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina protected him from legal action. Reports claim that Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader received significant commissions from Bodi’s yaba trade.

During a protest, anti-discrimination student movement leader Hasnat Abdullah declared that the interim government must take responsibility for investigating the BDR massacre. He assured protesters that a meeting with advisor Asif Nazrul would take place within the week to discuss six demands, including reinstating dismissed BDR members. Abdullah alleged foreign interference in the Pilkhana killings. Protesters, defying police water cannons, marched into the Secretariat, staging a dramatic sit-in wearing funeral shrouds.

A 127-page UN report analyzing events from July 1 to August 15 holds the past government and ruling party, Awami League, responsible for crimes against humanity. One of the most striking images in the report is a sketch of 17-year-old Golam Nafis, who was shot in Farmgate on August 4 while being carried to the hospital by a rickshaw puller. The viral image helped his parents locate him, but by then, he had already succumbed to his injuries.